HISTORY OF PULASKI -- History
of Pulaski, as published in the Northeast Telephone Company Directory,
1996-1997:
Source: Father Constantine Klukowski and minutes
from library notes, May 1949:
The Village of Pulaski was named after General
Casimir Pulaski, the great freedom fighter of Europe and America. In Poland
he fought the Russians from 1770-1772.
The history of Pulaski focuses around the efforts
of one man, John J. Hoff, a land agent from Milwaukee. Mr. Hoff was born
in Norway around 1846 and came to Milwaukee as a teenager. Around 1880
Mr. J.J. Hoff was engaged by the Agragrian Company of Milwaukee to settle
the territory of 250-300 square miles between Green Bay and Oconto, lying
in a northwesterly direction along the Green Bay waters. The usual price
was $15 per acre, of which one dollar went to the agent as his commission.
In 1880 he attempted to bring Norwegian immigrants into the townships around
what became known as Hofa Park. Failing that, he approached the Polish
immigrants in Milwaukee. He succeeded in bringing the Valentine Peplinski,
Valentine Zygmanski, Michael and Frank Lepak families.
With Hoff's encouragement settlers first arrived
in 1881. John Boncel set up a store and hotel. Valentine Peplinski moved
his hardware store here. By 1885 there were 35 families in the area.
Hoff donated 120 acres of land to the Franciscan
Fathers under the leadership of Brother Augustine Zeitz. By 1888 the first
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church and monastery structure were
completed. The present church building was completed in 1929.
John J. Hoff also brought settlers to the Krakow
and Sobieski areas Sobieski was situated on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St.
Paul railroad and had an earlier settlement than 1885. In all these settlements
he was helpful to the settlers, donating land and lumber for churches and
schools, staple food supplies, bringing in farm machinery and other materials.
The Village of Pulaski was incorporated as
a village in the state of Wisconsin in 1910, on April 9, due chiefly to
the effort of John A. Peplinski, Louis Prokopovitz, August O'Kray and the
Rev. Francis Manel, O.F.M. The village then numbered nearly 500 families.
Since 1910, Pulaski has grown considerably
in both population and businesses. Much credit must be given to the efforts
of those first determined settlers who founded the community of Pulaski.
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